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They say the first sale is always the hardest. And it’s true to its every word. While setting up stores on eBay, Amazon and other marketplaces has become relatively easier today, new vendors still struggle to crack their first sale the way they had initially dreamed of. Some, literally, take months to land their first customer. And it finally dawns on them, things aren’t as picturesque as those success stories have had them believed.

Are you an Amazon seller? Have you just started your online store? Or are you planning to venture this path soon?

Here are 8 winning ways to help you make your first online sales easily—ways that only the top vendors know of-

Have more than 2 sales channels

The calculation is simple—the more number of sales channels you have, better will be the chances of higher sales. So, instead of being just on Amazon and eBay, be also on other marketplaces and storefronts; of course, this must suit your overall business model and product type. To that, besides offering you higher sales, being on various platforms also provides the convenience to your target customers, which can boost several of your important metrics, including customer loyalty.

Analyze current market trends

Don’t jump on to making decisions and strategies without first getting your numbers and facts correct. Analyze the current market trends in your niche—the competition level, customers buying habits, their budget, the pricing standards and so forth. Take your time and know all these facts before you rush to make your selling and marketing strategies. Sound decisions always lead to a smoother path ahead; meaning, quick first sale!

Approach your niche influencers

Contrary to what many believe, approaching and convincing your market influencers is much easier. Of course you need the right approach, your products must be of high value and that you must be ready to face few rejections. Find few popular names in your business niche (who have high social media reach and/or have a blog), approach them from the front, offer them your product sample and let them review it. Some may even ask for money. If your budget allows and there’s higher ROI, go for it.

Blog about your products

No more is blogging a pass-time for the writers. It has become a significant asset in the marketing world. So start blogging about your online store, products and additional services you’re offering. Host it on your store’s website or use free platforms like Blogger, WordPress and Tumblr. Of course you must get creative here to keep your content interesting and worthy of readers’ time. A blog post, well written with facts and numbers, can significantly influence purchasing decision of the readers.

Leverage on Social media platforms and forums

Next to blogging, your best marketing avenue is social media platforms, followed by forums. Use Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Pinterest and more to reach out your target customers. Spread out the good words about your products and store. Again, be creative. Depending on your business model, Facebook group can be a much better option than Fan Page, LinkedIn might be a better platform than Twitter. So do your research properly and choose your marketing channels accordingly. Open forums/platforms like Reddit, 4Chan and Quora too offer a large pool of potential customers; so don’t overlook them.

Hype the launch

Even if you’re launching on a small-scale, there are ways you can hype your store, products and get your target audience excited. Press Release is a great way to get the words out in public; of course you need to make this write up exceptional and truly newsy that offers better value to readers’ time. Advertising on Facebook and different platforms, and having a “Coming Soon” webpage are decent ways too to hype the launch.

Sell on comparison search engines

Many new sellers overlook this but comparison search engines have a great deal of potential to boost your sales, if only you have a decent pricing strategy. Google Shopping and Shopzilla are great platforms that enjoy high monthly traffic. Be competitive and if luck has it, you can make decent amount of sales from here.

Bank on multi-channel e-commerce solution

Handling all the loose ends of your various online storefronts can be a stressful and time-consuming task. This can affect your own performance and hence your stores’. So instead of managing everything manually, why not bank on the affordable multi-channel e-commerce software solution?! From helping you in product setup and feed optimization to real time inventory management (eBay inventory control and more) and order fulfillment, its centralized platform can help you control everything under single roof, quickly and easily. This will only boost your stores’ overall performance but also make your life much easier.

These are 8 winning ways to make your first online sales quickly and smoothly. Now you know, give your business the right (and grand) start that

Over the past decade, Amazon sellers have done their bit in gaining A to Z knowledge about the basics of this platform. How to enter Amazon, how to set up presence in the platform and learning the bare basics of selling by the rules are some of the few that can be mentioned in this respect. What has been making all the difference though, even after abiding by organic selling processes is the extremely high level of competition prevalent in this marketplace. To say that gaining an edge in this cut throat race to ultimate visibility and conversions is at its all time high would not amount to overstating the matter at all.

To rise from all things mediocre and stand out in the crowd at this very juncture may seem impossible, but many Amazon sellers are seen cracking the codes of success with flair. As has been stated by this group of ingenious performers, this edge at success has been made possible by adhering to certain outstanding selling strategies. These strategies are very innovative yet very simple for all to follow. Persistence and hard work with a touch of creativity have been mentioned as the three ingredients that build these speed currents to sure shot success.

To begin with, the march to win buy box eligibility is considered one of the most unprecedented ways to run past competitors in Amazon. While almost everyone is in the race for winning the buy box, it is only select four who are proactive and intelligent about the matter of correct pricing of products that find place in this conversion directing platform. Sellers who know how to make the ‘lowest price’ work in favor of winning the highest sale are the ones who enjoy the lions’ share of exposure. Besides this, strategies that are based on innovative yet organic ways of using promotional tools, automation tools etc are also used by sellers for promoting growth and profits.

Are you one of those sellers getting bullied by the speed and eccentrics of Amazon? Fret not, because you are not alone! There are tens and hundreds of sellers around the globe who are still in the process of cracking the codes of Amazon success and that too with no apparent results. Decoding the success route in Amazon though is not as tough as it may seem. All it takes is a deep breath and the will to work in the right direction along with the right guidance to make things take a leap for the better. And to make things more real, let’s keep the word ‘instant’ out of the picture.

Here are some very simple solutions to some of the very common woes faced by Amazon merchants at large…

Operational Errors – This is the first and the most annoying hurdle that thousand of sellers face time and again. This can be anywhere from listing errors to inventory troubles to severe issues in completing the orders successfully. The solution lies in installing Amazon seller software that has been chosen with caution and preferably after reading through the reviews written in favor of the same.

Visibility issues– Many Amazon sellers correctly feel that they are not as visible to the target buyers as their competitors which may be costing them a chunk of their sale. The solution lies in establishing quality Amazon stores, preferably with the assistance of experts. In this case, the results can be instant and that too for the better.

Bidding goof ups – Amazon is all about bidding and of you are not doing it right, it may form a cause for losing prospective customers. The solution lies in seeking refuge with quality tools that assist in the process of bidding. Yes. They are available and they do perform more intelligently than any untrained brain.

Warning from Amazon – if you receive warnings from Amazon and don’t know why; check your listing and find out if you have hosted products that are not acceptable with the site and remove them instantly.

E commerce platforms may be very welcoming but, if you are out of tune with the intricacies of each of the former, you may be missing out on making some real time profits. This holds special relevance for new budding online business owners who are yet to make their mark in a market that is already brimming with competition. Read the rest of this entry →